What are your golf rules when playing a round?

[OnTheMoney]

Hello

I was reminiscing about a quick nine I was playing just for fun and I was paired up with a guy I thought was too serious. He did not say a word to me from the beginning to the end. He shook my hand and we exchanged names on the first tee box and thats it.

When I was on the tee box I usually stand to the side but on the first tee box he wanted me to move further off the tee box which I totally abide. On the fairway I usually just take practice swings until you begin your pre-shot routine but I had to not move an inch while he was contemplating which club to use before he began his pre-shoot routine which I thought was odd and too long of a wait so I just stayed in the cart. This guy was so focus he was thinking about his next shot while in the car. He was totally quite. After about 4 holes of slow play, I got mad b/c this was suppose to be a quick nine for me so I asked him the following:

Question 1: - Moving forward, where do you want me to stand on the tee box? His Response: off the tee box and don't move

Question 2: Moving forward, where do you want me to stand on the fairway? His Response: no where in my site and just don't move

Question 3: Where do you want me to stand on the green? His Response: no where in my site and just don't move

And Finally, I ask
Where you want the crowd to stand if you make the tour? His Response: I don't care if your paying to watch me

I believe I was wrong for asking the questions and vowel never to act impatient again b/c everybody plays the game differently.


I'm serious when I play and my only rule is to be still and quite when I'm swinging.

What are your rules when your playing a round?

[Kraemer]

So you gotta vent! We'll I'll say he sounds like a -hole. How he communicated
those ideas to you was probably not of good etiquette and he wasn't being cordial.
I would have to agree with the "just don't move part". Only a few players will start to stir
their clubs or start walking as another is about to swing. I'm guilty too.
Anywhere and always on the fairway be cognative of the other's shot and stand still.
It they can't see you, then walk on. but it is correct to respect the others shot.
There is a polite and respectful way of communication and sometimes, regretfully,
my way.

(WINTER RULES ROCK!)

[Shindig]

Wow. I'm pretty chill. Unless you're deliberately trying to mess me up, I'm usually fine with it.

[Fourputt]

Let's face it, not everyone is fun to play with. Looks like you found one of them.

Of those things the OP mentioned, I don't really care as long as you don't crowd me. I play every round by the Rules of Golf, but that doesn't mean that I don't have fun, and it doesn't mean that I ignore my companions. It takes a lot to distract me... the other day there was a large, black dog that decided the 8th tee was his territory... he had a mean bark and he stayed there within about 10 feet of us and didn't shut up the whole time we were hitting... but we still played our shots and moved on.

That guy you played with would have probably shot the dog....

[zeg]

Everything seems reasonable except not wanting you to take practice swings while he's selecting club and prepping. That seems like too much, unless you are within about 20 feet of him when doing so, or right in the middle of his field of view when he's setting up. I like a fair bit of space around me when teeing up and don't want someone breathing down my neck or making noise/moving nearby while setting up and swinging, but otherwise as long as it's not gratuitous it's fine.

[Chubbs]

Sounds like someone who can't control his head. We used to play games with each other growing up and playing golf where we'd purposely try and mess each other up during our swings, and work on concentration. Waving arms, moving your shadow all around the ball, farting loudly, throwing rocks, yelling.

I know a lot of us take golf seriously, but jeez, dude needs to lighten up.

[Zeph]

Most important for me is that people don't talk. I don't mind them moving around, though I prefer not, but talking is no no. When I hear someone talk, I start listening, and the swing becomes a mess.

[MiniMoe]

Guy sounds like a tool. If he is that way during practice, how much worse is he when the pressure is on, or when he hits a bad shot. I bet you almost anything he finds an excuse for every bad shot...."stupid birds chirping in my backswing". Rabbit ears will kill your golf game and make it no fun to play.

Bubba Watson (in the vid below) actually had a valid reason to complain, but I have played with a couple of guys that would turn and stare at you if you flinched while they were getting ready to putt... even if you are well behind him and off the green. After a while I become a jerk myself and mess with him a little just to piss him off. A little jingle of the coin here, a cough there, anything to break the tension. I can be a tool too, but I know it and admit it, and have fun with it. hehehehe

Only thing that bothers me is a sudden noise in the middle of my downswing. Other than that, do what you want... just give me a clear line to the hole.

[DavidFehertysBike]

Besides the games common courteseys i dont really have any other hang ups. But when im swinging i dont like sudden changes. If youre going to be loud and move around when i swing, be loud all the way through and dont stop.

[woodzie264]

That guy took himself waaaay too seriously.

To answer the question, I will admit that when playing with friends where no $ is up for grabs, we roll the ball in the fairways (fairways only) and give gimmies inside of 1.5 - 2 feet. However, if we have money on the line, we observe the ROG.

[uttexas]

One of my pet peeves is ringing phones on the golf course. How hard is it to set to vibrate?

I've played with people that want you to stand perfectly still outside their line of site on all golf shots. They are not fun to play with.
Personally, I don't talk from when someone has addressed the ball until the ball is in the air.

[Bullitt5339]

I am very easy to get along with on the golf course. Just no talking once the ball has been addressed, during practice swings is fine. I don't care where you stand as long as I'm not crowded, and people walking and moving don't bother me either, as long as they're not so close that I worry about hitting them. And turn your cellphone on vibrate at least. I take calls at the turn and when I'm done playing, the rest go to voicemail.

[sean_miller]

I'd have to see a youtube video of the incident(s) before passing judgement. Maybe the OP was actually being annoying and isn't aware of normal boundaries - maybe he's asking for help. Maybe his playing partner had a really long pre-shot routine that he was trying out - not ingrained yet. I mean, the OP said "He did not say a word to me from the beginning to the end. He shook my hand and we exchanged names on the first tee box and thats it." Then he gave details on their conversations. Huh?

Some Tips for playing with me:

1.) Like one poster said, if your talking or making noise, be consistent. Don't start or stop as I'm hitting.

2.) The human eye does a better job picking up colour straight on, and contrast / details from the side. If you insist on standing in my peripheral vision - keep yourself motionless in a relaxed position.

3.) Walk, don't ride. Two mismatched golfers stuck sharing a powercart makes for a long day. We want to be in good spirits when the beer girl stops by.

4.) You really don't need to stand on the tee box as a spotter on a short, trouble free, par 4 or on a par 3. Unless of course our entire group is walking and the tee box is big enough for everyone, all the bags (and our caddies).

5.) If you're that guy who ran up behind me during my swing on every shot for the first 6 holes at Wolf Creek in central Alberta, I hope you eventually learn some manners.

[colin007]

On the fairway I usually just take practice swings until you begin your pre-shot routine but I had to not move an inch while he was contemplating which club to use before he began his pre-shoot routine.

thats way over the top. if you cant move while hes thinking about what club to pull then he needs to go.

[iacas]

In computing there's a principle ("Postel's" Principle or Law or something IIRC) that says "be liberal in what you accept and conservative in what you send."

I tend to take a similar approach when playing with someone new. I'm more accepting of behavior I wouldn't normally see and I make sure my own behavior toes the line.

That guy sounded like he did the opposite. Oh well. At least he's not in your league and you don't have to play against him every four weeks or something, right?

[Shindig]

In computing there's a principle ("Postel's" Principle or Law or something IIRC) that says "be liberal in what you accept and conservative in what you send."

Postel's Law, named for Jon Postel. The distinguished speaker series in my department is named for him, so it's been kind of drilled into my head. I never thought of applying it to golf, but I like it.

[Yukari]

As long as people stay sufficiently far away from my swing path, I couldn't careless. I don't want to feel like I have to abbreviate my swing so I don't hit you on the backswing or on the follow through.

Talking doesn't bother me as long as it is not a sudden noise during my swing. If you are going to talk, start before I take my backswing and you can continue your conversation during my swing.

[sean_miller]

As long as people stay sufficiently far away from my swing path, I couldn't careless. I don't want to feel like I have to abbreviate my swing so I don't hit you on the backswing or on the follow through.

When I was young(er) and played for money (just with the guys on my ball team - not very big stakes) people would make noise or ask irrelevant questions to bother me and it really worked. Then, like a switch went off, I realized something. They needed to do that to compete. All of a sudden their gamesmanship made me play better - it built up my confidence.